1420 Computer Science
Stony Brook, NY 11794-0001
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Biography
Dr. Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Technology and Society at Stony Brook University's College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS). He studies the production and sociotechnical impacts of AI-enabled systems in critical areas (e.g., work, health, education, and mobility) to advance theory and inform more equitable and human-centered design and policy interventions. To achieve this, he employs a life-cycle-centered, multi-method approach to analyze the promises, inequalities, and invisible labor embedded in AI infrastructures, from development and deployment to governance.
He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan's School of Information, along with a graduate certificate in Science, Technology, and Society (STS). He holds an M.S. in Applied Data Science from Syracuse University and a B.A. from the University of Indianapolis. Before entering academia, he worked as a journalist and feature writer at an international news outlet. He enjoys cycling, swimming, running, hiking, and yoga.
Awards
Weizenbaum Fellow, Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, Germany, Spring 2024
Rackham International Research Award, University of Michigan, April 2023
Research
Drawing on training in applied data science and sociocultural ethnography, Dr. Zhang's work examines how responsible approaches can be integrated throughout the lifecycle of AI-enabled systems. Specifically, he focuses on: (1) AI production and data infrastructures; (2) work, health, mobility, and sustainability in the context of global development; and (3) sociotechnical strategies to reduce harm and promote responsible computing. His empirical research has yielded several conceptual contributions (e.g., precision labor in AI production, human-centered algorithmic mobility, and infrastructural migration) and design and policy implications around algorithmic resistance and global platform governance.
His research has been published at top computing venues, including ACM CHI, ACM CSCW, ACM GROUP, AAAI ICWSM, and the Journal of Collaborative Computing and Work Practices (JCSCW), as well as interdisciplinary venues such as SMSociety, 4S, and AoIR. His work is supported by awards and fellowships, including the International Institute, the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan, and the Weizenbaum Institute in Germany. Additionally, his work and practice has been featured in global news outlets like Der Spiegel, China Daily, and States Newsroom.